Playing-cards.



V l C E p R E S I D E N T E. McH. POND.

PLAYING CARDS. APPucAndN FILED FEB. 1, 1916.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

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E. McH. POND.

PLAYING CARDS.

APPLlCATlON FILED FEB. 7. 1916.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

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D T. g L E Wfd 7 l A V I 8 W 2 INVENTOI' 3, Emmajyt'lzfifiiyfofld 1 BY 7 ATTORNEYS.

EMMA MGHENRY POND, 0F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

PLAYING-CARDS.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed February 7, 1916. Serial No. 76,584..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMA MGHENRY POND, a citizen of the United States, resid-' ing at Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Playing-Cards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in games and more particularly to a game played with cards, and has as its object the construction of a series of' cards representing certain ,facts and features pertaining to the Government of the United States and to the Constitution thereof. v

The principal object of my invention is to provide a game which is played in such a manner as to have an educational value in connection with certain facts of the Constitution and Government of the United States.

Another object of my invention is to provide a game having novel rules, which are based in a measure upon the constitutional provisions for the electing of a President.

Still another object of my invention is to familiarize the participants of the game with the States, the relative number of their electoral vote, the normal political complexion of the said State, whether it is an equal suffrage State or not, together with other historical facts, which are .not commonly remembered by the average person.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the novel construction,

combination and arrangement of cards described in the following specification and morespecifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view in plan of the card known as the Vice-President card. Fig. 2 is a view in plan of the first flag card. Fig. 3 is a view of the Oregon card, which has five electoral votes and is also an-equal suffrage State. Fig. 4 is a view of a card having three electoral votes, in this casedesignated as New Mexico, and which State generally Democratic. Fig. 5 is a view of'the card having four electoral votes, in thiscase being designated as New Hampshire, and which State is generally Republican. Fig. 6 is a view in plan of the card designated as Chief Justice. Fig. 7 is a view of the card designated as the President. Fig. 8 is a view of the card designated as Lady Washlngton. Fig. 9 is a view of the card known as the White House card. Fig. 10 is a View of the card designated as Uncle Sam or District of Columbia.

Other cards are also used, the total deck consisting of sixty-one cards, those shown only illustrating the various types. The card shown in Fig. 6 is the highest ranking card. This card I prefer to construct with the portrait'of John Rutledge, who was the Chief Justice of the United States in 17 95, on the face thereof. There is but one card of this type. I

In Fig. 7 is seen the President card, which takes rank as the second highest card,'and of which there are two in the deck. These cards contain the portraits of the first and second Presidents of the United States, and are played as hereinafter described.

The cards shown-in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, as well as the cards of Figs.- 6 and 7, are all classed under the general heading of honor cards, there being in all thirteen cards of this class. In addition'to the Lady Washington card, shown in Fig. 8, the White House card, shown in Fig. 9, and the District of Columbia card, shown inFig. 10, I provide a card which is designated as Lady Adams, similar in design to Fig. 8, except that it contains the portrait of Lady Adams instead of Martha Washington. The remaining cards of this group in place of a portrait contain the flag of the Secretary of State, of War, Navy and Treasury, together with the name of the respective men who first occupied these positions under the Constitution of the United States.

The first flag card, shown in Fig. 2, as well as the Vice-President card in Fig. 1, are also placed under the designations of honor cards, and are played according to the rules later set'forth. The cards shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are called State cards and contain stars, in number equal to the number of electoral votes cast by the respective States. These stars are colored red or blue as the States are normally Democratic the odd card, places it in his hand, and then being thirteen honor cards, as previously described, thepack consists inall of sixty-one cards. I

Having thus described the cards in general the game is played according to the following rules: Constitution is a game for four players; two of the partners against the other two. The partners are determined by placing all cards on the table face clownward, all four players drawing cards. Cards are drawn until two draw red star cards and two blue star cards. The players drawing red stars or Democrats are then partners, and those drawing blue stars or Republicans play together. The pack is then shuflied and dealt by the one drawing the highest card. The lead is determined by the one who findsfthe District of Columbia (Uncle Sam) in his hand. The player to whom Uncle Sam has been dealt picks up places Uncle Sam, face up, on the table at his right hand. The player at his right hand having Uncle Sam on his left hand deals the second deal. The first lead by any player must be the lowest State card of his own suit, thus declaring his party, otherwise he must lead the lowest State card of the opposing party, declaring that his lead is forced. Any subsequent lead may be from either party, the lowest card of that party in hand, except that thirteen or a Presidents card may be led at any time after the first lead. If only honor cards are left in hand one must be led. This is termed a forced lead. The second hand must, if possible,follow suit with State card another honor card to take a trick unless the subsequent honor card is forced. When any hand plays an honor card, or the highest State card in suit that can double, in other words, has the trick, subsequent hands may play the lowest card of suit led, or failing this suit, the lowest card of the opposing suit. The third hand must, if possible, follow suit with State card having double the number of votes of the card played by second hand. Failing such card it is optional to play honor card with vote (provided second hand has not taken'trick with honor card), highest cardfrom the opposing party in his hand, or refuse to vote by play ing honor card without vote. In the fourth hand, the rules for the third hand apply, except thatthe doubling must be on the last State card played, excepting the possible forced discard of second or third hand. If fourth hand refuses to vote the trick goes to the player who has last doubled with a State card, provided no honor card with vote has been played to take the trick. When all the above rules for playing the second, third and fourth hand fail to apply, the lowest card in hand must be played, except that Chief Justice may be played to take the trick.

Playing State cards, suit must be followed if possible. For instance, if a Democratic State card with thirteen stars or a Democratic Presidents card is led and a follow ing hand has no Democratic State card with thirteen stars or more, but a Republican State card with thirteen stars or more in hand, then such card must be played, or if it has not Democratic State card with thirteen stars or more in hand, but a Democratic State card with ten stars and a Republican State card with twelve stars as highest cards in each' suit respectively, the Republican State card with twelve stars must be played. A State card with thirteen stars when led can not be followed by less than thirteen stars when in hand, otherwise the highest State card in hand must be played. It can be taken only by the card which can double thirteen (California), except that when not doubled and the above rule can not be followed it may be taken by the Chief Justice. When the lead is not doubled, and the trick is not taken by an honor card,- the lead takes the trick.' When, toward the end of playing the deal, a hand is left with only honor cards, and more than one honor is thus forced to be played on one trick, the highest ranking honor takes the trick. Honor cards with vote rank all State cards, and all honor cards rank along themselves for prizes in accordance with the scale on the score card. Honor cards not entitled to vote: First flag and first White House have no rank in the playing of the. deal and cannot take a trick. The playing of such a card is called refusing to vote.

The Chief Justice represents the supreme majesty of the law and his card is therefore the highest ranking honor card and takes any trick upon which played in favor of the party to which it has been dealt. In other words the chief function of the Chief Justice is to intervene when the regular rules are not followed. He is entitled to one citizens vote in scoring after playing the first hand.

Presidents cards are the only honor cards which may be led unless a forced lead is made. When a Presidents card leads it assumes the politics of its leader, and the lead played. If the above rule cannot be followed Chief Justice may take the trick. A President is entitled to one citizens vote in scoring after playing the first deal. The Vice-President is entitled to one citizens vote in scoring after the first deal. District of Columbia or Uncle Sam determines the lead. In counting honors for prizes or favors after playing the second deal Uncle Sam is counted With the party to Whom dealt. The first flag has no vote and therefore may be played by second, third or fourth hand as refuse to vote. ll hen a suffrage State card is played, and the player fails to say Double vote the Chief Justice may take the trick.

In scoring after playing the first deal citiens are voting and each honor card counts as one citizens vote, with the exception of the first flag and first White House. The

votes of'suffrage States are doubled. Thus,

the playing of this deal simulates the popular vote in a presidential election. In scoring after playing the second deal only electoral votes are counted, thus simulating the vote in the Electoral College, but to determine the final score, and thus decide by this game Which presidential candidate is elected, the scores resulting from the tWo deals are added. After playing the first deal the score is counted by the players from the tricks they have taken. The combined scores should total 623. The second and final scores are counted by the player Who the final score should each political party Win the same number of votes, the player holding the Vice-Presidents card casts the Vice-Presidents vote with his party and announces the President elected.

Thus from the description and rules it Will be apparent that I have provided a game, Which is instructive, as Well as interesting, whereby certain features and facts connected With the United States Government are firmly impressed on the players mind.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that minor changes in detail and design Within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim and Wish to cover by Letters Patent l. A pack of cards comprising a group of honor cards representing certain features of the United States Government, and a group of State cards having stars corresponding in number to the electoral votes of the State, said stars being differently colored upon each of these latter cards to represent the political complexion of the State.

2. A pack of cards comprising a group of honor cards representing certain features of the United States Government, and a group of State cards, each representing a State, stars on each State card corresponding in number to the electoral vote of that State, and an additional star on some of the cards to denote that the State has equal suffrage.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EMMA MGHENRY POND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissi0ner.of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

